Obj. 3:  Further, a human action acquires merit or demerit through being ordained to someone else.  But not all human actions are ordained to God.  Therefore not every good or evil action acquires merit or demerit in God’s sight.

On the contrary, It is written (Eccles. 12:14):  “All things that are done, God will bring into judgment . . . whether it be good or evil.”  Now judgment implies retribution, in respect of which we speak of merit and demerit.  Therefore every human action, both good and evil, acquires merit or demerit in God’s sight.

I answer that, A human action, as stated above (A. 3), acquires merit or demerit, through being ordained to someone else, either by reason of himself, or by reason of the community:  and in each way, our actions, good and evil, acquire merit or demerit, in the sight of God.  On the part of God Himself, inasmuch as He is man’s last end; and it is our duty to refer all our actions to the last end, as stated above (Q. 19, A. 10).  Consequently, whoever does an evil deed, not referable to God, does not give God the honor due to Him as our last end.  On the part of the whole community of the universe, because in every community, he who governs the community, cares, first of all, for the common good; wherefore it is his business to award retribution for such things as are done well or ill in the community.  Now God is the governor and ruler of the whole universe, as stated in the First Part (Q. 103, A. 5):  and especially of rational creatures.  Consequently it is evident that human actions acquire merit or demerit in reference to Him:  else it would follow that human actions are no business of God’s.

Reply Obj. 1:  God in Himself neither gains nor loses anything by the action of man:  but man, for his part, takes something from God, or offers something to Him, when he observes or does not observe the order instituted by God.

Reply Obj. 2:  Man is so moved, as an instrument, by God, that, at the same time, he moves himself by his free-will, as was explained above (Q. 9, A. 6, ad 3).  Consequently, by his action, he acquires merit or demerit in God’s sight.

Reply Obj. 3:  Man is not ordained to the body politic, according to all that he is and has; and so it does not follow that every action of his acquires merit or demerit in relation to the body politic.  But all that man is, and can, and has, must be referred to God:  and therefore every action of man, whether good or bad, acquires merit or demerit in the sight of God, as far as the action itself is concerned. ________________________

TREATISE ON THE PASSIONS (QQ. 22-48)
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QUESTION 22

OF THE SUBJECT OF THE SOUL’S PASSIONS
(In Three Articles)

We must now consider the passions of the soul:  first, in general; secondly, in particular.  Taking them in general, there are four things to be considered:  (1) Their subject:  (2) The difference between them:  (3) Their mutual relationship:  (4) Their malice and goodness.